This post gave me cancer - What is strength?

[Trude]

Anyone who has seen my posts the last eight months has probably noticed that I was diagnosed with a simple cancer in January. Through an absolute slog of chemotherapy, I've heard so many people tell me how strong I am in the face of such hardship. Yet, I've never thought sitting in a bed, waiting for something to be over was a difficult task to accomplish. This begs the question as how do you define strength?
Today however, came very different news. The cancer was well known to have spread to my lungs with several lesions inside of them. The thoracic surgeon gave me a small chance of surviving the growth of these lesions beyond five years. I get the feeling my definition of strength is going to change very quickly.

I feel rather conflicted writing this, whether it will make me feel better about the situation I have put myself in. I'm not fishing for sympathy but was genuinely curious about how you define strength, a question I've had long before receiving the news this morning.

Captcha: "Fill it up."
I wish captcha, I wish.

 

[Lilikins]

Streangth in my opinion atleast, is being able to overcome obstacles and get through it regardlessly, inner streangth so to speak. Though theres a bunch of ways you can relate to streangth in any given moment. Fighting for what you believe in, getting through something even though chances may be against you, stepping in where others start to back down, etc etc. I do assume in my mind I consider streangth to be equivelant to bravery in a way.

Streangth in itself then I find atleast, cant have a norm. For instance, in your case going through that and not giving up requires streangth. At the same time, lets take something thats miniscule in comparison, lets say someone is afraid of mice... (like me..). If it cost me alot of streangth to pet one and not run away screaming haha.

Nevertheless though, I wish you the best of luck an best wishes with your illness and I hope everything goes well and your back at 100% as soon as possible Keep your chin up and keep fighting.

 

[omega 616]

Think it was Gandhi who said "strength isn't your physical capabilities but from an indomitable will", so in that sense, I guess it does take strength.

It's not so much about living in a bed waiting for it to be over, it's about coping with cancer ... its also kind of what your supposed to say.

In an episode of house a person puts off telling friends and family they have it "'cos after you tell people you have cancer, every conversation is about cancer".

 

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

Im sorry to hear about your cancer. Heres my opinion on what 'strength' is.

Physical strength is the ability to lift things that are heavy, which are burdens to your body that your muscles have to deal with.

Mental strength is the same thing, the ability to carry burdens, burdens of a mental nature. So theres a natural connection between .

And both are trained by carrying increasingly heavy burdens.

This video sort of shows my developing views on strength.

 

[itaywex]

Think it was Gandhi who said "strength isn't your physical capabilities but from an indomitable will", so in that sense, I guess it does take strength.

It's not so much about living in a bed waiting for it to be over, it's about coping with cancer ... its also kind of what your supposed to say.

I agree with omega 616, strength is that even if something bad happens, or if you know that things will be bad/worse from now on, you will still be able to function normally. Being able to live your life without constantly thinking about your condition is being strong.

I hope that you will be cured. But if not, than I hope you will be strong and enjoy the life you have left, not just suffer because the life you won't have.

Everybody dies eventually, being strong (in this case) means that even if you know when you will die, you will not let it affect the enjoyment you can have from living until that time.
Be happy, that's the most important thing. If you can enjoy your life and find happiness even in your condition, than you are definatly a strong person.

 

[Eleuthera]

First off, my sympathies.

I was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma (a cancer of the lymphatic system) 4 years ago now, and still recovering from my last treatment. If this one doesn't work I can probably live for another 8-10 years on palliative care (or maybe 2 if I choose not to have that). I've also heard from most of my friends how easily I handle the situation (or how strong I've been), but for me it's just been accepting the situation. As long as my doctors tell what they're doing/planning and why I'll deal.
Earlier this year there was something wrong with me as a side effect of the treatment and for 3 weeks I was in hospital with no answers at all. That did nearly put me in a depression (sick, hurting and not a single clue for 3 weeks).

Anyway, mental strength imo is dealing with your problems as they appear and not worrying too much about the future.

 

[briankoontz]

Strength is the process of overcoming some kind of adversity. Strength does not imply wisdom - it might not be a good idea to undertake that process regardless of the result. And it's rarely a good idea to "lift that shit, or die trying" - there has to be some kind of rational risk-reward analysis involved, unless we're just macho posturing like a lot of people do on this forum.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

It's not just "sitting in bed". Sickness can be aggravated by a mental factor "such as internal conflict". No doubt peace of mind and will power can (emphasis on CAN) help a person overcome an illness.

 

[Jamieson 90]

Anyone who has seen my posts the last eight months has probably noticed that I was diagnosed with a simple cancer in January. Through an absolute slog of chemotherapy, I've heard so many people tell me how strong I am in the face of such hardship. Yet, I've never thought sitting in a bed, waiting for something to be over was a difficult task to accomplish. This begs the question as how do you define strength?
Today however, came very different news. The cancer was well known to have spread to my lungs with several lesions inside of them. The thoracic surgeon gave me a small chance of surviving the growth of these lesions beyond five years. I get the feeling my definition of strength is going to change very quickly.

I feel rather conflicted writing this, whether it will make me feel better about the situation I have put myself in. I'm not fishing for sympathy but was genuinely curious about how you define strength, a question I've had long before receiving the news this morning.

Captcha: "Fill it up."
I wish captcha, I wish.

Sorry to hear about your bad news, my mother is currently dying with small cell lung cancer. It's probably the rarest and most aggressive cancer there is (without treatment it will kill you in as little as 6-8 weeks), so I can kind of emphasis with what you're going through. I can't know exactly of course because I don't think you ever can unless you've experienced it for yourself, but I know what it's done to my family and I.

I think strength can be defined in many different ways. There's physical strength, i.e. being strong, whether that being the ability to lift heavy weights or the endurance to carry out an activity for a prolonged period of time, but I guess what we're really thinking of is emotional strength. For me being strong is being able to deal with a terrible situation, and note I say deal; I'm not fine now, my mother is dying for Christ's sake so how could I ever be fine? I cope, I get by, I accept it even though it makes me so angry and frustrated, accept it because I have to because I know there's no chance what so ever. It's just a waiting game, one where we have to make her as happy and comfortable as possible so she can enjoy what time she has.

It's terrible and it's harrowing and I feel so old now even though I'm quite young. I look back at my self pre-diagnosis and I can't even relate to that person. His life was so easy and carefree and while he thought he was grown up he really wasn't. I've changed, I've had to change and I've grown up and matured a lot too, probably become a lot more cynical and bitter in the process as well. Yeah that's what I think true strength is - being able to deal with something and put on a brave face even when you no there's no hope at all.

 

[michael87cn]

Strength doesn't matter, sounds harsh, that video at the top was cute, but its pointless. Strength is a tool you use. It has nothing to do with you as a person. So you're strong mentally, physically, so what? What do you DECIDE to do with that strength? That's what matters.

Our actions define us. Our actions remain in effect when we are dust on the ground.

Build up your heart, and then your mind. These will take you so much further in life than strength. The truth is, everyone ISN'T strong. Everyone is weak. Everyone is flawed. Everyone needs help. It's in our design to give and receive support. That. Is. The. Truth of it.

 

[Trude]

Apologies for the necro, but I thought this deserved to be archived.
A pathology of the removed lesions showed no signs of teratoma or sarcoma cancer. In fact, subsequent MRIs showed signs of the lesions shrinking by roughly 50%.
I guess that my definition right now is that strength is the ability to remain positive long enough to hear the good news rather than cowering and ignoring the bad news.